This invention relates to vehicular disc brakes of the sliding caliper type and, more particularly, to a caliper assembly for a sliding caliper disc brake.
In the typical sliding caliper disc brake, the caliper embraces the disc and is slidably supported at its opposite ends by a torque plate fixedly secured to a nonrotating portion of the axle assembly of the associated vehicle. As the brake is applied by the actuator assembly, the inboard brake pad is pressed against the inboard face of the disc, whereafter, with continued driving input from the actuator assembly, the caliper slides inboard on the torque plate to bring the outboard pad into frictional engagement with the outboard face of the disc.
It is important, particularly in heavy-duty truck fleet service, to be able to quickly remove and replace the brake pad assemblies. It is particularly desirable in fleet applications to be able to remove and replace the brake pad assemblies without removing the caliper or the associated wheel hub of the vehicle. In an effort to allow such ready removal, so-called "open back" caliper designs have been developed wherein an opening or window is provided in the back wall of the caliper through which the pad assemblies may be withdrawn directly. Such designs however require bolts or pins to position the pad assembly within the window in the caliper and require that the bolts or pins be totally axially withdrawn before the pad assemblies can be removed. In many heavy-duty truck applications, adjacent equipment, such as the associated wheel structure, severely encroaches on the space available around the brake and precludes complete axial withdrawal of the bolts or pins.